Who's done a total career change?

[baxlin]

9 years in the RAF, then Building Society, finishing as Branch Manager.

Resigned as further promotion would have meant another relocation, so started my own Financial Services company (with a friend) in 1987, sold my shares last year, and now like Geoff above, have the best job ever.......




Retired!

 

[chrisk2010]

Left school became an "aquarium engineer" ( don't ask i was young and liked fish ) basically specialised in marines and built coral reefs for people with more money than i'll ever earn.
Forklift Mechanic
Started a parts company, aquired two more then sold them after my mum passed away to spend some time with family.
Went into IT but wasn't for me, great with computers hate being at a desk.
Worked for Comet for a spell then that went t*ts up, offered a job at PC world / Curry took it to fill the gap but they are just horrific people.
Found a job as a factory worker they then moved me to their warehouse as i had warehouse background and within months offered managment where i have stayed as it suits me i get to runs a plant, and the site engineer retired which allowed me to get my bum out the chair on ocassion and pick up a spanner.

Got to admit getting bored finding my self staring out the window more these days.

 

[saff]

Signalling and Telecoms engineer for BR. Left to go alone as electrical contractor. This went t*ts-up so drove taxis for a while. Later BT engineer then office-based controller. Retired 2 years ago after heart bypass. That was the biggest life-change of all. Now a house husband and I keep myself busy.

 

[ToeKnee]

Started as an engineer with a degree in mechanical engineering, got redundant so worked for Pontins holiday camps for a couple of years, this took me to being a public house manager. left that and went back into engineering, then sold insurance for a while, managed a large supermarket then bought a pub lease. So;d that to semi-retire and drive a cab now. So some different choices there.

 

[Headhurts]

Started life as an apprentice mechanic, obtained my City & Guilds certificate then decided not for me.

Joined the army in Royal Corps of Signals, mostly great loved my Posting to Germany got married wife hated the posting came out and eventually divorced.

Joined the police did 30 years and retired.

I was still relatively young so had around a year off then did some labouring work for a builder friend.

I was then asked by another friend to help out with some data import work, he was the purchasing manager who was trusted and close to the MD, at that time there were 11 shops in the group.

We had problems with stock going missing so I used to do a twice weekly high value stock check and report back to the purchasing manager.

It was later found that he was the offender and instantly dismissed, he was lucky in that police were not informed despite the losses going into many thousands of pounds.

I was asked to temporarily help out and must have done a decent job as I ended up with the job which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Like all good things though there reached a point where at 65 I thought retirement fully was the best option, sometimes you know when your ready.

So that’s where I am today.

Robin


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Following a telecoms apprenticeship at the Post Office (now BT) Research Station in London I transferred to GCHQ for three years. Got married at 21 and couldn’t afford a house there so moved to Suffolk where the BT Research was transferring to work on “Special Projects” (don’t ask) involving innovative microcircuit design and construction. After running a team researching cable exploitation (including pioneering optical fibre studies) I moved back to London with my family to work on Submarine Cable Planning where I developed the first computerised planning tools. From there I went to Wembley to run the world’s only international training school for Sumarine Cable jointing. After transferring to develop tools and techniques for optical fibre jointing I moved “inland” to manage the development of computerised monitoring systems for BT’s cable network. For my last ten years in BT I moved away from the R&D side to join the overseas consultancy department where I travelled the world extensively as part of preparing bids for consultancy in all aspects of telecommunications, from privatisation to satellite earth stations. So up to the age of 50 I worked mainly in telecoms but covered a very broad range of disciplines.

At 50 I jumped at the opportunity to take early retirement on a full pension. In the first couple of years this was nicely supplemented by well paid short-term jobs in bid preparation for BT and the European Commission as well as a couple of training jobs in the South Pacific (someone had to do it ). But my main reason for taking retirement at 50 was to get away from the stresses of my job (that contributed to wrecking my first marriage), so I let the work drift away. Rather than do nothing from then on I got a job as a car cleaner at a sports/prestige car dealership a short walk from home. In no time at all I found myself designing and building a database for them, followed by a website. But the best part was getting to drive so many fantastic cars, either to photograph them in complementary surroundings or to deliver them to customers around the country. (I got to meet a lot of top footballers but had no interest in the game; most seemed to enjoy not talking about their sport.)

In parallel with my swanning around in flash cars, I helped my second wife set up and run her very successful hairdressing business. I knew nothing about hairdressing but I was able to put together a good business plan for her then help with marketing, recruitment, contracts, staff management, etc.

Bloomin’ eck. Sorry, that’s too much. But I have covered a lot in the last 50 years, from starting out working for Tommy Flowers (the designer and builder of the world’s first programmable, electronic computer) and finishing up (?) running a hairdressing business. And during all that I’ve had three kids whose ages now range from 2 to 46. Now that’s a real total career change!

 

[Piff]

Trained as a building surveyor/quantity surveyor and worked in that line for 11 years.
Late 1980's recession came along and found myself out of work with a wife & 2 young children to support.
Had always been a practical "hands on" type so fell into general building with a preference towards building individual houses.
Now at 58, looking for a way out due to continuing changes in the industry.
Don't particularly want to retire yet, prefer to keep the brain & body engaged.
Just looking for ideas for an alternative job to keep me occupied.....................

 

[Peter103]

Apprentice Mechanic
IT Engineer
HGVDriver

Result of a misspent youth Jockie Boy! chill out, dont get off yer bike, only kidding.

 

[Peter103]

5yr indentured Plumbing apprenticeship, worked on various sites in and around London with various companies.
Decided to chase the big Penny and travelled throughot uk contract Pipefitting and heating in Nuclear Power stations,,
Nuclear Dockyard Plymouth, Steelworks at Llanwern and Port Talbot S, Wales, and sites throughout UK.
Nuclear finished in the 80's Went home, moved out of London and started own Plmg, and htng. busines,
And 30 fun years later here I am, and its been great, can't complain lifes good.

 

[Darrell]

Did my time as a C&G apprentice plumber from ‘83-‘87, passed and got into lead roofing.

Due to the recession in ‘90 and as I only had my c**k to keep I worked as an 18-39 rep in Kavos and that led to 3 winters in Goa.

Returned to the UK in ‘94 and resumed work lead roofing.

2001 I formed a building firm which lasted until 2007 when I sold it.

9 years in Skiathos as a hotelier, bar owner, plumber and Olympic Holidays rep.

Back as a plumber in the site temporary business and enjoying it.

9 years to go and I’ll be 60 and I’ll be back in Skiathos, retired, enjoying the sun and taking it easy.

 

[Jonesy161]

Apprentice mechanical engineer.
Vertical miller.
Work study engineer.
Production engineer.
Garage owner/motor engineer.
Technical training officer.
Planning manager.
I guess we could all write a book, I’ve chosen not to.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Vertical Miller sounds fab.

 

[Jonesy161]

Vertical Miller sounds fab.

I knew that would cause comment, there aren’t many vertical millers around these days, happiest days of my working life, only ambition spoiled it.

 

[KennyN]

there aren’t many vertical millers around these days.

What kind of machines as we has a few in RR - Oerlikon , SIP , Webster Bennett , Makino , Bridgeport and a few whose name escape me.

Kenny

 

[estate-agent]

I've changed a fair bit as well.

16 years old - YTS Car Mechanic (Hertfordshire)
18 Years old - Mechanic (Hertfordshire)
19 Years old - Bus driver (London & Home Counties)
24 Years old - 2WD Rolling Road Engine Tuning (Hertfordshire)
26 Years Old - 4WD Rolling Road Engine Tuner (Bedfordshire)
28 Years Old - BMW Dealer Head Car Valeter (Hertfordshire)
29 Years Old - Self Employed Car Valeter (Hertfordshire)
31 Years Old ** Packed bags with girlfriend, dog and moved to the West Country **
31 Years old - Coach Driver (South Devon)
32 Years old - Trainee Estate Agent (South Devon)
34 Years Old - Estate Agency Owner (South Devon)
43 Years old - SOLD BUSINESS & Semi - retired (Very Happy)
43 Years old - Current part time job selling tools and easy lifestyle !!

Living by the sea and happy as a sand boy


.

 

[190]

Nice to see many engineering apprentices made good.

Apprentice Instrument technician with ICI
Design draughtsman
Plant Engineer
Site Engineer

At 48 took voluntary redundancy and made a big downshift to Computer Network Manager in a school
At 63 back to being a Technician again. Working 2 days per week and feel no desire to stop even though I don't need the money.

 

[Jonesy161]

What kind of machines as we has a few in RR - Oerlikon , SIP , Webster Bennett , Makino , Bridgeport and a few whose name escape me.

Kenny

Kenny, this is forty years ago when men were men! Bridgeport, Cincinnati, and some new fangled semi auto machines which just couldn’t do the job.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

31 Years Old ** Packed bags with girlfriend, dog and moved to the West Country **.

^ that made me smile. Must have been very exciting.

 

[m2287]

Started “flipping” burgers in a McDonald’s kitchen just over 10 years ago, worked my up and now a manager for a large corporate franchise overseeing several branded food to go offers.

Not had or found the opportunity to do anything different!

 

[AMGeed]

^ Got any free vouchers?